The Song of Dalmasca
by Altum
Summary: A princess. A prince. A knight. Three people whose actions shaped the history of Ivalice.
1. First Movement:  Serenade

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy XII. Everything therein belongs to Square-Enix. No profit is being made with this work.

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**The Song of Dalmasca**

_First Movement: Serenade_

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The sun's gentle rays caressed her face. She heard the soft chirping of flittering doves above; their song painted a smile across her lips. She rode atop a grand platform pulled by several golden, fine-feathered chocobos that were raised for such occasions. Their ornamental harnesses glistened in the sun. 

Before the carriage, many races marched in her honor. In the front, a lone Nu Mou held flags in both hands. A band of short, furry Moogles followed behind, playing woodwinds as the swine-like Seeq made their way after them, beating on drums and blowing into trumpets. People lined the streets, cheering and whistling as her carriage continued towards the chapel entrance.

The celebratory music amplified the atmosphere tenfold. Emotions were evoked within her, and she hoped they carried over throughout the crowds.

Happiness. Prosperity. Hope. These were things she wished for her people.

It was a joyous day. Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca and Lord Rasler Heios, the Prince of Nabradia who stood at her side, were to wed.

The Princess knew that much of the public viewed the marriage as one of convenience and necessity. Political tensions bloomed throughout Ivalice, their roots held fast by the advancing forces of Archadia, a nation bent on domination. A marriage between the daughter of Dalamasca's king and the son of Nabradia's would secure another ally in the coming battles. Many doubted any underlying notion of love between the two, but she cared not for their gossip.

She turned towards Rasler. There was love. That was perhaps the one thing she felt sure of in her life in that moment. She loved him. She felt it in the way he held her hand. She could see it in the way his eyes lit up before they kissed. She felt it in the way they touched and in the way her heart beat against her chest as _their_ moment neared.

And she felt that all of that was enough for her.

She smiled.

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-

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A bit different than the normal things I put forward, this is going to be a collection of short one-shots illustrating the opening scenes of the game, leading from the Princess' wedding up until the disastrous outcome of the Battle of Nalbina Fortress. Each story is presented as a portion – or movement - of the overall project that I've titled _The Song of Dalmasca_. I think it fits, as these events really shape what Dalmasca represents in the game itself. Depending on how all of this goes, I'm looking at writing a Final Fantasy XII novelization opposite of my Final Fantasy X one. So, we'll see where this all leads. 

This first one-shot outlines the wedding parade for Ashe and Rasler. I saw it as a serenade because it's mapping out the feelings before their official union and it reminded me, somehow, of a man serenading a flattered woman from outside her window, what with all the music and celebration and her standing at Rasler's side.

Yeah, it's short and to the point, but I didn't want to really show anymore than this in the opening part. The goal of this is to just sort of paint a picture of emotion.

Until the next movement.


	2. Second Movement: Minuet

**The Song of Dalmasca**

_Second Movement: Minuet_

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The chapel was dimly lit by the late afternoon sun as it poured in through the western windows. The walls were colored in the deep browns of stone. The room was decorated with small baskets of plants and statues built in reverence to Faram, the Father of Man and God of Light. She stood opposite of Nabradia's Prince, Rasler. Beside them was a Kildean priest who stood behind an altar and read Holy Scripture and ceremonious rites. 

Knights and lesser-known nobles of the kingdoms lined against the walls of the chamber while those of royalty sat in the pews. She could hear the conversations taking place in their minds as they all quietly observed her. She knew that some were amused by the sheer aesthetic beauty of the wedding. Others likely thought of the hope such an event would bring.

The union of the Princess of Dalmasca and the Prince of Nabradia. A grand thing, to be sure, especially in these troubled times.

Ashe was anxious. Her hands fidgeted about as her fingers desperately tried to busy themselves, though they rested in the hands of her groom. She glanced at Rasler and noticed him looking back at her. His face was calm and attentive, a result of his lifelong royal and militant training. Her eyes wandered elsewhere, scanning the audience for someone; a certain person she wanted to see this more than anyone else.

But he wasn't anywhere to be seen.

Her eyes found their way back into Rasler's and a nervous smile formed across her lips.

* * *

He stepped outside into the warmth of the sun. It was a welcome change compared to the dank chapel that he had sat in for the last half an hour. He had no qualms with the religion, Kiltia, but the atmosphere had proved too intimidating for him.

Being a Dalmascan knight was a privilege and an honor. He wanted nothing more than the happiness of those he had sworn allegiance to and to defend his country. Sometimes, though, the necessities and desires of life were the very things that pained him. He harbored feelings for the Princess. Seeing her wed another man was not something he cared to witness, nor was it something he could afford to dwell on.

Basch fon Ronsenburg was a man of honor, and Ashelia was not to be his lover.

She was his Princess.

He was her knight.

* * *

Her heart pounded. She knew it was time. 

The priest spoke. "In the name of the Father, and in the presences of these Holy Relics, I hereby pronounce you man and wife from this time forth. May the blessings of the Gods light your path for all eternity. Faram."

Rasler pulled back her headdress and fully revealed her face. He leaned forward, she closed her eyes, and they kissed. It felt as if it lasted for an eternity, and when it was over, she saw Basch leaning against the wall of an empty corridor.

He lightly clapped and nodded in her direction.

She smiled.

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-

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Another short one, this being the marriage of Rasler and Ashe. I felt the concept of a minuet fit really well, being something played in reverence to one you respect, worship, or love. I'm not a huge classical music buff, but I don't think I'm misusing the titles. If I am, let me know. 

I also took a few liberties here. Basch obviously isn't a present in this scene during the FMV, but the game hints at a relationship between them, and part of me wonders if there may have been something prior to the events of the game.

Until the next movement.


	3. Third Movement: Bolero

**The Song of Dalmasca**

_Third Movement: Bolero_

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Rasler sat at the round-table with both King Raminas B'nargin Dalmasca and the head military strategist, a middle-aged man by the name of Alinas. The King was old and wizened and a look of distress was embedded in his features. The ever-looming shadow of Archadia had been careful to take its toll on all that opposed it. 

"Given what we we've been made aware of, Lord Rasler, how do you propose we look upon the current developments?" asked the King.

Rasler shook his head as he looked at the table. It had a built-in display of the map of Ivalice and all the continents and countries therein. Floating above it were magical icons indicating the various known fleet locations between the kingdoms involved; blue being those of Rozarria, Nabradia, and Dalmasca – red standing for the encroaching Archadians.

No matter which way he looked at it, Archadia seemed to have the entire continent of Valendia in checkmate. Many nations had fallen over the last year, and now his nation, Nabradia, struggled in the crossfire. After all of Valendia was secure, Archadia would continue its westward march towards its enemy nation of Rozarria, and all that stood in its way then was Dalmasca.

"There isn't much of a choice. Nabudis is under attack by Archadia, which leaves little else to do other than lend aid to them."

Alinas nodded. "If the capital city falls, then Nabradia is finished, which would leave Dalmasca ripe for taking. However, there's no guarantee that we can save your country. Pardon my selfishness, Lord Rasler, but we should focus more on strengthening defenses here by sending aid to Nalbina Fortress."

Rasler's face flushed red with anger, but he could not argue. Nabradia was not their home.

It was his.

* * *

Basch quickly made his way down the castle corridors. While the King had been deciding his next course of action, Nabudis was defeated, and with it the last line of defense in Nabradia. The continent, Valendia, was completely under the jurisdiction of the Archadian Empire. 

When the news had reached Basch, it felt like a dagger had been plunged into his heart. First, Landis had fallen, and now, years later, the new nation he had learned to call home was on the verge of a similar fate.

He would not lose everything. Not again.

When he reached the conference room, he burst through the doors. "My Lord, Nabudis has fallen."

The look of desperation that exploded from the Rasler's face would stay with him for the rest of his life. "No. That's impossible."

"If only it were, Lord Rasler. A messenger has sent word to Rabanastre. He spoke of an explosion."

"An explosion?"

Alinas raised his hand, stemming the conversation. "Process does not concern us right now. If Nabudis has indeed been lost, then it is only a matter of time before they reach our border. We have nothing to halt their advance."

"Then we send our forces to Nalbina Fortress," the King said.

Basch brought his right fist to his heart. "I will go."

Rasler stood up. "And I will go at your side."

He looked at Rasler, the prince of his princess. After several moments and a myriad of conflicting thoughts, he nodded. "Very well. We make haste."

After all, they were both men who fought for the same ideals.

For their honor.

For their home.

For their love.

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-

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Alright, the next movement is complete. This one was noticeably longer, yet it still wasn't _long_. It was somewhat hard to map this. I found myself wanting to throw in details here, but as short one-shot, I don't want to drown the reader in extraneous wording. I just don't find details to fit as easily right here, not as how they flow so freely with me in my larger works. I think it just conflicts with the ultimate vision of a simple song. 

I'm trying to understand the political and physical geography of Ivalice and find a way to detail it without going into lengthy exposition. The history and setting of this game is pretty well crafted, but to understand it is to sift through a lot of hidden details within unlockable passages obtained by filling out the bestiary and details within the verbose dialogue itself. Having played _Final Fantasy Tactics_ and _Vagrant Story_ before helps, too. For those of you still confused by the game and this political one-shot, and for those of you not familiar with the setting at all, here's a rundown of the terms.

Valendia is a continent to the northeast of Dalmasca. Landis was a small republic in Valendia that Basch was born and raised in which was assimilated into the Archadian Empire. Archadia is also in Valendia, as is Nabradia. The Rozarrian Empire covers the western continent of Ordalia, and they are the enemies that Archadia is at war with. Dalmasca is a small kingdom that served as a "neutral buffer" between the two aforementioned continents and the southern continent, Kerwon, as it is located in between all of them.

Hope that helped a bit.

Until the next movement.


	4. Fourth Movement: Nocturne

**The Song of Dalmasca**

_Fourth Movement: Nocturne_

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The room was dark and quiet. Several people stood within the same walls she did. It had only been a few weeks since she had gotten married in the presence of these very stones. It was a memory surrounded by happiness and hope that Ashe held deeply to her heart – a memory she wasn't yet prepared to let go.

Now, she found herself once again surrounded by spectators formed from both flesh and rock, and she struggled to take in everything that surrounded her. The nations were falling apart. Dalmasca was close to its own demise and soon to be assimilated by the Archadian Empire. Her people were about to become absorbed into something that they did not support; soon to be forced to salute a banner that they feared. Yet, for her, the most painful part was what lay before her. It wasn't the sound of Archadia's colossal footsteps heading towards her doorstep or the thundering drums of war and strife. It was the twisted shell of a man that lay before her.

She remembered when Basch had told her that Rasler had died at his side, defending everything that his father had fought for and everything she had hoped they would share together. Time seemed to lose its meaning. The past and future imploded upon her at that very moment, and she could do nothing but kneel at his casket and bear the burden of everything that pressed against her. The weight of the world was no comparison to what had just been robbed from her.

The voice of the Kildean priest spoke words that echoed throughout the halls and crept into her mind. "Blessings of the Great Father, descend and guide your body's return back to the earth. Great Father, guide your spirit's return back to the mother of all. There, Lord Rasler, you shall find peace. Faram."

Ashe could hear the airships outside, lazily plowing through the skies. The people in the room let out a few quiet sobs and whispers. The world around her was still moving, yet her mind was frozen. She brought her shaking hands up under her veil and watched as her first tear fell to her palms.

She had lost her nation. She had lost her prince. She had lost everything.

And she cried.

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-

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Yeah, it took me a while to post this final, short thing up, but that's because it underwent multiple forms. Trust me, this is by far the smallest and most concise version, and I even opted to go against ones that included more of Basch. I just felt that this was about Ashe and her reflections, but I don't think these feelings would be naturally complex. The feeling of loss feels very large and intimidating and multi-tiered, but it usually falls to one simple concept: you miss what you lost.

So, yeah, it's all done now. Will I be going on with a novelization? Maybe. Maybe not. I still need to play the sequel on the DS, which I can hopefully borrow from a friend at some point. And, honestly, I have another more nagging idea in my mind, not to mention my older fictions that I feel the need to revise and get back into the swing of.

Thanks for the reviews! Hope you enjoyed.

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**Edited: 3/11/08**

_I edited this slightly after getting a recent review that offered a large amount of constructive criticism (thanks, Tem), but at the same time I didn't quite change the style of the story. I kept a few things that were commented on the same. I changed a few words here and there, shortened a few lines, added some missing words that the Document Manager Monster probably saw as a delicacy, and I changed the "lone tear" statement to "first tear" to break away from the cliche, I suppose._

_However, I want it to be known that I **didn't** want to make this last piece extremely deep. In my experience with loss, especially being as strong - or at least stubborn - as I believe Ashe to be, that "lone tear" can be all that there is, and the emotions at first are simple. You're soaking everything in, watching, observing, organizing it all. You're not destroyed just yet. Of course, this is how I observed Ashe's character to be in that scene (where I recall there being only one tear and no uncontrollable sobs). Like I said in the author's note, I wanted this to be simple. If you disagree with it, that's fine, but my point here wasn't to touch someone's heart but to be realistic. Losing someone or something isn't always an emotional explosion, especially with someone as strong as Ashe. Sometimes it's, well, **less**._

_Perhaps I should've went with the more emotional version I wrote earlier, heh. I just felt this one fit her character more. _


End file.
